FLORIDA — Backyard shooting ranges are becoming more common in Florida, and a state lawmaker wants to make some changes to a law that lets people shoot guns recreationally.
Rick Hendricks uses an air pistol to shoot targets in his backyard at his Orlando home.
He doesn’t use any of the firearms he owns because he knows there’s a chance a bullet could hit someone.
“An air pistol is not nearly as lethal or as strong or has what they call recoil,” Hendricks said.
But homeowners throughout Florida have set up shooting ranges in their backyards in residential neighborhoods.
In January, residents in a Clermont neighborhood complained to police after hearing gunfire close by.
One of their neighbors was using a firearm to hit targets in the backyard.
A new bill could make a backyard shooting range illegal.
If passed, homeowners could face criminal penalties if they discharge a firearm on residential property.
State Rep. Darryl Rouson said the bill brings common sense and clarity to the law that prohibits cities and counties from regulating the use of firearms.
“There have been injuries and deaths as a result of ricocheting bullets or bullets not hitting their intended target,” he said.
Hendricks doesn’t think backyard shooting ranges should be illegal, but he still sticks to an air pistol out of consideration for his neighbors.
If passed, the law would go into effect in October.
The National Rifle Association said it believes the bill is unnecessary and overreaching.
WFTV
